SEPTEMBER 3, 2015 BY 

YVSC has gathered an amazing lineup for next Tuesday’s event!

Steamboat Springs architect Tom Davis is a LEED-accredited professional who chose a local green builder to construct his family’s new Cherry Drive home completed last year, but deciding exactly which standard of energy efficiency construction to follow was still a challenge.

Davis had to research, ask questions of consultants and carefully review his budget before determining the final building plan, so the architect said he is looking forward to attending the Green Building Happy Hour Workshop on Tuesday evening to listen and learn more.

“In hindsight, I wish I had known more about the different energy efficiency rating systems so that I could have been better informed,” Davis said. “There are so many different rating systems out there it’s hard to fully understand all the benefits of that program for an energy efficient home as well as the tangible benefits for a person constructing the building. My decision-making process was guided by a tremendous amount of research, bouncing ideas off consultants and formulating my own strategy that hit the budget that I needed.”

The free community workshop presented by the nonprofit Yampa Valley Sustainability Council will feature short segments from a variety of local builders, architects and homeowners who currently are working on or have completed residential or commercial buildings according to such standards as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), Green Globes, Energy Star and the Routt County Green Building Program. The presenters will address why a certain building program was chosen and how the process worked out in Routt County.

“It’s confusing; there’s no doubt about it. I think people need to ask questions,” said workshop speaker Scott Kemp, a homebuilder who constructed his family’s house to meet the locally tailored Green Building Program. “The workshop is a good opportunity for people to talk to other professionals and learn the back story of what it requires to build green or energy efficient here.”

The workshop is open to the general public, homeowners, business owners and construction folks and will include a short segment on commercial energy audits and LED lighting as well as opportunities for questions and answers with the presenters. The educational event is planned for 4-6:30 p.m. Tuesday Sept. 8 upstairs at McKnights Irish Pub in Wildhorse Plaza near Sports Authority. For questions contact YVSC at 871-9299 or info@yvsc.org.

WORKSHOP AGENDA

Presented by YVSC and Energy Smart Colorado
4-4:15 p.m. – grab a frosty drink and socialize/network at McKnight’s
4:15 p.m. – Welcome
4:20 p.m. – 4:50 p.m. – Panel speakers 1-3; County Green Building Program and Energy Star
5-5:15 p.m. – Q&A
5:15 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. – Panel speakers 4-7, Commercial audits/LED lighting, Green Globes, LEED residential and commercial
6:15-6:30 p.m. Q&A

SPEAKER BIOS:

Builder Scott Kemp and his wife, Megan Moore-Kemp, will discuss the Routt County Green Building Program for a single-family residence. The couple built their family home to be one of the first homes certified under the local Green Building Program. Megan was born and raised in the Yampa Valley and works for Yampa Valley Electric Association as a Key Accounts Rep. Scott hails originally from Minnesota but has spent 26 years in the Yampa Valley exploring the intersections of a career, family and personal endeavor. After 14 years as a carpenter and a craftsman, he formed New Mountain Builders 10 years ago to add his voice to residential home construction in a more meaningful way.

Lee Fischer, who will talk about the Routt County Green Building Program for a multi-family residential project, has been an architect in Colorado for 34 years and has been a partner with ESA Architects in Steamboat for the last 15 years. Lee specializes in the technical/construction administration, including serving as the C.A. for the EagleRidge Chadwick Tri-plex near the ski area.

Jan Kaminski, president of Mountain Architecture Design Group in Steamboat, will discuss Energy Star for residential including the Horizons Specialized Services’ Soda Creek Apartments in Old Town Steamboat. Jan and colleague Chancie Keenan designed the energy efficient building that captured U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requirements. Jan earned a B.S. in architectural studies from the University of Illinois.

Melissa Kline, who will be discussing commercial energy audits and LED lighting, is a certified energy auditor and the founder and president of IMPACTenergy, a Vail Valley-based energy engineering firm dedicated to maximizing energy efficiency for the hospitality industry. Founded in 2010, IMPACTenergy has worked with more than 75 hotels and timeshares.

Architect Nick Doro, a LEED accredited professional, will present a brief review of the Deer Park Road Corporation office project. Nick has been a project manager at Vertical Arts Architecture in Steamboat for 3 years and previously worked on projects in the Washington D.C. area for 10 years. This project, currently under construction near the Steamboat base area, is pursuing Green Globes certification.

Architect and homeowner Adam Wright along with builder Tarn Dickerson will discuss LEED residential construction. Tarn grew up on the coast of Maine helping with his family’s custom home building business prior to moving to Colorado for a degree in natural resource management. After a few years working in land conservation, he moved to the Yampa Valley and resumed building homes. In 2006 he founded Sustainable Building Solutions with the goal of building sustainable, energy efficient homes and has been striving to meet that goal ever since.

Adam is a LEED accredited professional and project architect for Kelly & Stone architects in Steamboat. He is pursuing LEED for Homes certification and managing the LEED process for his own recently completed home on North Larimer residence.

Jim Kohler, vice president at CalCon Construction, and architect Michael Olsen will discuss LEED commercial. Jim has worked for CalCon since 1994 and in Steamboat for the company since 2006. He earned an undergraduate degree in architecture and a master’s degree in construction management. Local notable CalCon projects include: North Routt Community Charter School that earned LEED Platinum rating, Yampa Valley Medical Center, Howelsen Place and Four Points Lodge at the ski area. Michael has been a practicing architect in Routt County for 24 years. Michael and his team are well versed in implementing green design principles into a variety of project types.

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